Combination furniture



Jan. 7, 1941. J, 5, LA FEE COMBINATION FURNITURE Filed Oct. 5, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 1 illllllllllllllllllllllllll Jan. 7, 1941. Q 1 5 L FEE2,227,786

COMBINATION FURNITURE Filed Oct. 5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 [j 5Inventor fimesZ-Zaf A iiorneys Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 2,227,786 coMarNATIcN FURNITURE James E. La Fee, FortDodge, Iowa Application October 5, 1939, Serial'Nc. 298,135

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in kitchen cabinets and moreparticularly to combination kitchen cabinets and tables.

The principal object of the invention is to equip a cabinet of the typeidentified inexpensively with a hidden table forming extensions adaptedto be easily projected therefrom and strongly supported without the useof legs when projected to withstand heavy loading without sagging, andwhereby the usual kitchen table may be dispensed with and economy infloor and wall space effected.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, allof which, together with the precise nature of my improvement,.will bereadily understood when the succeeding description and claim are readwith reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of thisspecification.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a preferredembodiment of my invention, the panel being shown swung into hidden orretracted position.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the panel projected,

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figure1 looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows,

Figure 4 is a similar fragmentary view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Figure 5 is a detail view in longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, I have shown my invention asembodied in a kitchen cabinet of the type including a lower section Iand an upper section 2. The lower section I comprises the usual sides 3,front 4, back 5 and top 6, the front 4 having a pair of lower doors Ifor 0 access to storage space in the bottom of the section, and saidsection further including a pair of upper laterally spaced drawers 8.The upper section 2 may be of any usual construction and therefore needmerely be identified in passing. According to the present invention, thedrawers 8 are spaced below the top 6 to provide a chamber 9 between saiddrawers and top for a purpose presently seen. The top 6 is supportedpartially at its front by a longitudinally extending front bar I0extending from side to side of the section I and surmounting the front4, said bar being longitudinally slotted, as at H, to said sides 3 for apurpose to be explained.

The chamber 9 is designed to house therein an 68 elongated,straight-sided table forming Panel I2 having a straight front end I3 andan irregularly shaped rear end it, said panel fitting lengthwise in saidchamber with a. slight clearance between its ends I3, I4 and the sides 3of the section I, and being dimensioned otherwise to fit against theback 5 and into the slot l I flush with the front of the bar Iii.

Adjacent to its rear end I4, the panel I2 is pivotally and slidablymounted in the chamber 9 as follows. Within the chamber 9, adjacent theappropriate side 3 of the section I is a pair of upper and lower guideand supporting bars I5, I6, respectively, for the panel I2 suitablysecured at the ends thereof to the back 5 and bar I 0 in horizontalposition flush with the upper and lower edges of the slot I I andbetween which said panel I2 is disposed. Spaced inwardly from the barsI5, I6, is a second cross-bar II similarly secured to the back 5 and barIt! in the plane of the bar l5. Extending between the bar I! and saidside 3 is a longitudinal brace bar I8 having its ends suitably securedto the bar I I and said side 3 and being disposed flush with the bottomof the bars I! and 55. A pivot bolt I9 extends upwardly from the bar I6in the longitudinal center thereof and through the bars I5 and I8 with anut I9 threaded on the upper end thereof. A central longitudinal slot 20in the rear end I4 of the panel I2 and through which the bolt l9projects, provides for horizontal swinging and endwise sliding of thepanel I2 relative to the bolt I3 and between the bars I5 and I6 andunder bars I1 and I8.

As will be noted, the bolt I9 is spaced from the sides 3 so that thepanel I2 may be swung out of the chamber 9 by way of the slot I I intoforwardly extending projected position with one side 2| bearing againstthe side 3, thereby establishing the projected position, or, swung fromprojected position into said chamber 9 to be hidden therein with saidside 2| flush with the outer face of the bar Iii. A particular featureof my invention is that the panel I2 is adapted to be slid back endwise,in its projected position, between the bars i5 and I6 and against theback 5 to lock the same against swinging, the slot 20 permitting suchmovement as will be clear. In this locked position, a corner 23 of therear end I4 of the panel i2 is disposed in eccentric relation to thebolt I9 and against said side 3 and thereby blocks swinging of saidpanel !2 toward hidden, or retracted position, the side 2| of the panelbearing against the side 3 of the cabinet and blocking swinging of thepanel in} the opposite direction. To unlock said panel I2 it may bepulled forwardly, until said corner 22 is in concentric relation to boltI 9 at which point the panel may be swung into retracted, hidden,position in the chamber 9. The opposite corner 23 of the rear end M ofpanel I2 is rounded, as at 23, to obviate interference thereof with theback 5 under swinging of the panel outwardly from retracted, hidden,position. The slot 20 is of suiiicient extent to permit the panel 12 tobe pulled outwardly in its extended, projected position, or shovedinwardly so as to vary the leng h thereof extending from the section I.As best shown in Figure 3, in the retracted, or hidden position of thepanel l2, a gap occurs between the corner 22 and the adjacent end of theslot I I. A filler block 24 having a handle 25 is provided to fit intothe gap and fill the same. A similar handle 26 is provided in the side2| of panel [2 adjacent the front end l3 thereof for manipulating saidpanel. A cross-bar 21, similar to bar I6, is provided in the chamber 9to support the panel l2 adjacent its end l3 when said panel is swunginto retracted position.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoinedclaim.

.What I claim is:

A cabinet section comprising a top, and a back, front and side walls,respectively, and drawers, forming together with said top a chamber inthe upper part of the cabinet section, the front wall being slotted fromside to side of the cabinet for access to said chamber, and atable-forming panel pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof in saidchamber for swinging adjustment into and out of said chamber by way ofsaid slot into hidden and projected positions, respectively, said panelwhen projected being endwise slidable on its pivots inwardly andoutwardly of said chamber and having a corner and a side edge,respectively, coacting in the inwardly slid position of said panel withone side of the cabinet section to lock said panel against swingingmovement, a transversely extending bar in said chamber underlying thepivoted end of the panel to provide a bearing therefor and supportingsaid end in the horizontal plane of said slot, and transverse andlongitudinal bars in said chamber, respectively, overlying the panel toprevent the same from tilting on its pivot and said first-mentioned bar.

JAMES E. LA FEE.

